A Night To Die For
by Gin Nanashi
Summary: Birthdays were meant to be fun, to bring about smiles and laughter and joyful expressions. But this one – his sixth birthday – was more than that… It was a night to die for. [AU, Possible OoC-ness, Ib-inspired]
1. Chapter 1

**GN:** ...Oh god, I can't believe I'm posting this. *sweats* Okay, so, after watching a few LPs of the game _Ib_ and reading some fanfictions, I got this idea of fusing it with _Persona 3_ and – Voila! – this happened. I really haven't planned this story out though so... Yeah, even I don't how it'll proceed. *sigh* I just hope this doesn't end up being one of those stories that I start and never finish... oTL

* * *

**_A Night To Die For_**

___Persona 3 _© Atlus_  
__Ib_ © Kouri (translated by vgperson)

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

_Pretty…_

Large silver eyes stared up at the full moon, taking in its wondrous form with childish delight before roaming across the dark sky scattered with only the brightest stars that managed to twinkle through the city lights.

_I want to see more…_

The owner of those bright eyes thought as he leaned forward and pressed his hands against the ledge, feeling the cool night breeze play with his blue locks.

_…so let me grow up soon!_

His eyes closed and his vision was overtaken by darkness that slowly but surely brightened with orbs of light that zoomed past him. The bright red and orange and yellow of the Sun glowed in the distance, circulated by Mercury, by Venus, by his home on planet Earth. It was followed by Mars, by Jupiter, by Saturn and Uranus and Neptune until the lonely Pluto followed in the shadows. They drifted around him, tantalizingly out of reach, as he floated in the dreaminess of his imagination until–

"Makoto-chan~!"

–an unexpectedly loud knock made him fall over in surprise.

"Owie…"

Rubbing his bottom, the boy slowly stood up as the knob jingled and the door slid soundlessly open to reveal a rather beautiful woman with luscious dark hair and bright silver eyes.

"Are you ready, sweetheart?" she asked, stepping inside and casting a critical eye over his rumpled form before raising a brow, "Or do you need help?"

His cheeks flushed pink as he hastily straightened up and raised his hands to adjust the large navy ribbon wrapped around the collar of his white dress shirt until it was no longer crooked before he lowered his hands to smooth out the wrinkles of his navy shorts. A quick tap of his toes against the hardwood floor made sure that his black boots were free of any dust.

"I guess not," the lady hummed with no little amusement, "But…"

She crouched down in front of him, mindful of her black elegant dress, and reached out a hand to run her fingers through his hair until his bangs no longer covered his face.

"There!" Her lips quirked into a tiny grin. "Perfect!"

Makoto returned her smile with one of his own before taking her hand and asking, "Are we leaving now, Hahaue?"

"That we are," his mother answered with a wink, "Your father's waiting with your surprise in hand."

"Surprise?" His eyes were wide with excitement. "What did Chichiue get me?"

"Alas, to say so would ruin the fun~," she sang teasingly.

Before the boy could pout his way downstairs, a low chuckle reached his ears and he turned to see a tall man whose pale appearance could rival that of a ghost and was enhanced by his white suit.

"Come now, love," the man spoke with twinkling eyes, "We don't want him crying on his birthday."

"Chichiue~!" Makoto tackled his father in a joyous hug before registering those joking words and pulling back to smack his legs with a scowl. "And I'm not a crybaby! I'm _six_ now!"

He proudly held up the appropriate number of fingers as emphasis.

Another laugh left the man's lips as he ruffled his son's hair. "Yes, yes, you're such a big boy now, aren't you?"

Suddenly, a mischievous glint appeared in those colorless eyes. "Ah, but I suppose big boys don't really need presents anymore…"

The horrified look that painted across his youthful face could almost match that of when he found out that the last slice of strawberry shortcake had been eaten and his parents bursted out into laughter before his father nudged the baby-blue-and-yellow wrapped gift into his smaller hands.

"Just kidding, little one," snickered the man, "So go on and open it!"

Pouting for just a while longer, Makoto pushed back his sniffles in order to scrutinize the box.

A gentle shake indicated that the content was soft.

Anticipation was evident on his face as he carefully picked apart the wrapping paper and opened his present to reveal a stylish but age-appropriate gray overcoat to match his current outfit.

_Just like Chichiue's!_ His lips widened into a grin. _I'm one step closer to being a man!_

"Like two peas in a pod," his mother giggled after helping her son into the jacket and stepping back to admire the two most important males in her life, "Soon he'll surpass you in height, dearest." Her eyes sparkled. "Not that that would be too difficult to."

"Oh, how you wound me so…"

Makoto giggled at the jab to his father's less than impressive stature as said male bowed over sulkily.

His mother gave a secret wink before patting the albino on the head. "Now, now, dear. I'd love you even if you become a hunchback."

"Who am I to be but Quasimodo," he sighed with exaggeration before smiling and kissing the back of his wife's hand, "But I wouldn't mind if you're my Esmeralda."

Seeing the two beginning to lose themselves in a moment of romance, the boy made a face and quickly pushed them out the door, declaring,

"I don't want a baby brother so soon!"

Laughter left his parents' lips as they acquiesced to his demand to hurry up and the Yuki family left their estate with but a few words of reminder for the servants to lock up properly before they entered the limousine and directed their chauffeur to drive to their destination.

Some time later, the rumbling of the engine quieted and the door opened to reveal an excited Makoto as he bounced out of the large luxurious car before stopping to awe over the aesthetic marble building.

_…?_

Silver eyes blinked once, twice, thrice before the boy tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"G-Geck…koo…con…?"

"It's Gekkoukan, sweetheart," his mother corrected before sighing happily, "It's been a while since we've last visited this art museum…"

"The last time we were here was back in high school, na?" His father chuckled. "For that group project… It was the first time we'd really interacted."

"I remember that," she laughed, "You were so clumsy, you tripped into that sculpture and set off the alarms!"

He grimaced and groaned pathetically, "Please don't remind me… That was an absolute nightmare to get over!"

As his parents bantered and reminisced over embarrassing but fond memories, Makoto kept close to their sides and whipped his head around, trying to take in everything around him from the symmetrical columns outside to the crystalline chandeliers that hung in the grand lobby, as the overhead speaker played gentle piano pieces by age-old geniuses.

_It's like a castle from the stories Hahaue tells to me,_ he couldn't help but think as he eyed the armored knights and their horses that guarded the entrance into the gallery behind the receptionist desk, _I wonder if there's a princess too…?_

A weight on his head made him blink and look up curiously.

His father smiled at him. "Why don't you go on ahead? This place has been specially reserved for you after all."

In other words, all of security knew to keep an eye on him just in case he needed help but were told to stay at a distance so that he could immerse himself in this new, seemingly magical world.

With that in mind, Makoto grinned and swiftly thanked his parents, giving each a big hug full of love, before he sprinted past the metal guardians and into the large hall, slowing down to a light trot as he approached a model of a grand tower that seemed to glow a strange green color.

_So tall!_

He leaned back a bit to see that the top nearly touched the ceiling before looking down to squint at the letters printed on the nameplate.

_T-Tar…tar…us… Tartarus!_

Confusion flickered across his face.

_What's Tartarus? Sounds like tartar sauce…_

Swallowing hard at the thought of fried seafood, Makoto quickly shook his head to get back in the game and looked at the smaller words below.

_The Tower of De…meesay? Damice? Dimeez?_

His lips jutted out in a pout upon being unable to recognize the word.

_…Moving on!_

Looking left and right, the boy debated on which way to go before closing his eyes and turning around once, twice, thrice, quadruple, quintuple–

_Okay! Time to stop!_

–until he swayed dizzily and stilled himself, breathing deeply while the room began to stop spinning.

Blinking a few times, Makoto smiled triumphantly upon noticing that he was facing left instead of any other odd way that wouldn't help him decide before he marched off to look at the paintings.

Some were of landscapes, others of people.

Some were realistic and others surreal.

Some were colorful, others monochrome.

So lost in thought, the boy paid little to no attention to his surroundings until–

"Oof!"

–he bumped into a softness that had him stumbling backwards with his arms waving futilely before he was caught by firm but gentle hands.

"Whoa there! You alright?"

It took a moment for him to realize that, yes, his feet were flat against the floor and, yes, he was still upright before he blinked, looking up.

_!?_

Startled by those crimson orbs, Makoto abruptly jerked away and his sudden movement made him tumble over.

"Owie…" He rubbed his bottom and huffed. "Not again…"

Movement from in front of him made him flinch as he expected to be grabbed and yelled at for his rudeness but the lack of pain and noise peaked his interest and he looked up hesitantly.

His breath was caught.

Instead of a red-eyed monster wanting to tear into him, the person who stood in front of him was a young woman with hair like chocolate and skin like vanilla.

"Are you hurt?" she asked with furrowed brows as she out a hand, "That was a bit of a fall you took there…"

Realizing that he was gawking, Makoto blushed and shut his mouth before taking her hand and stuttering, "I-I'm fine, miss! And, u-um, thank you! S-Sorry about before…"

She smiled and his cheeks darkened even more.

"No worries," she chirped, "I'm actually sturdier than I look!"

As emphasis, she pounded a fist against her chest.

Just then, the crackling of static sounded and Makoto blinked before looking curiously at the holster around her waist as a voice called out,

"Heeeyyy~ Ko-tan, you there? I need help! Over!"

Amusement flickered across her face as the young woman took out the walkie-talkie and responded, "I'm here, Jun-chan. What's the matter? You didn't accidentally lock yourself in the janitor's closet again, did you? Over."

Makoto couldn't help but giggle at that as she winked playfully at him before waving goodbye with a word of care and walking off, bantering with the mysterious male who whined about how cruel she was to bring up such an unfortunate event.

Calming down but still smiling, the boy continued on his adventure as he happily made his way up the great staircase and into the second floor of the gallery.

As with the first floor, it was a splendid hall but, instead of one magnificent model in the middle, there were several areas cordoned off that held sculptures which were, quite frankly, strange in his opinion.

One area contained three pairs of mannequins positioned as if they were about to waltz: each had their heads replaced with a heart and held a rapier in their clasped hands.

Reading the plaque, Makoto furrowed his brows.

_Death of the In…dee..vee…juu…all…?_

He stared at the long word for a moment before shrugging it off and looking back at the artwork.

_…Well, they _did_ get their heads cut off._

A shiver ran up his spine and the boy stiffly turned before quickly walking away, making a mental note to stay away from the morbid statues.

Moving on to the next section, Makoto raised a brow at the gold-plated metalwork that vaguely resembled a pegasus but whose head and wings reminded him more of a fly. It was perched on a large roulette wheel that was unequally divided so that red dominated blue.

_Flee…ting… For…tune…?_

Confused by the unknown words, he blanked out in thought.

_Flee means run, tune is music so… The music runs away? …Huh? What does that have to do with a horsey?!_

His head hurt a bit from trying to figure it out and, briefly, he wished that he'd just stuck with his parents since he could've pestered them with his never-ending questions before Makoto roughly shook his head and pumped his tiny fists in determination.

"A real man doesn't give up!"

That said, the boy decided to leave the odd sculptures behind and, upon noticing two staircases spiraling up to the third floor in either back corners, carried on past the various pillars supporting busts of people unfamiliar.

Curious as to what the upper floor held, he took two steps at a time and peeked around the corner before blinking in surprise at the lack of guards in comparison to the lower zones.

_Is there nothing important here…?_

He doubted that as an eagerness for strange mysteries arose within his chest and, with a grin, he stepped into the corridor.

His boots tapped against the floor as his eyes took in the various framed canvases that were otherwise blank.

Baffled by the peculiarity of showing such so-called artworks, Makoto almost bumped into the largest feature of the room but stopped just in time.

Silver eyes gaze up at the abstract painting that looked more like his own crayon-based drawings than any masterpiece by a famous artist and narrowed in bemusement.

_What _is_ this?_

It was a mess of colors found in rainbows with shapes that vaguely resembled some of the artworks that he'd passed before but the black paint closest to the edges had a disturbing feel to it that made it appear as if darkness was encroaching on some dying light.

Although the painting sent unease traveling throughout his body, Makoto took a step closer to look at the nameplate just below the golden frame.

His fingers brushed against the print as he puzzled over the words.

_The Fa…bree…cay…ted… World…?_

And the lights flickered.

_!?_

Jumping away from the artwork, the boy looked around with eyes round from fright.

_W-What was that?!_

The soft classical music that played in the background had faded away, leaving an ominous silence that sent goosebumps prickling at his skin.

Ba-bump!

Swallowing thickly, Makoto cautiously made his way back downstairs and called out hesitantly,

"H-Hahaue…? Chichiue…?"

No one answered.

His heart skipped a beat and began to pound furiously as he trembled and whimpered pitifully.

"Hahaue…?! Chichiue…?!"

His high-pitched voice held obvious fear and deep distress as he whipped his head around for signs of _anyone_.

"Ha–"

BAM! BAM! BAM! (BAM!)

A shriek of terror left his lips as he tripped backwards and clambered away from the wall–

**WELCOME, MAKOTO YUKI!**

–as it dripped with a redness that resembled blood.

**LET'S PLAY TOGETHER FOREVER…**

His heart nearly stopped.

**…AND EVER MORE…**

And panic seized his mind as the boy scrambled to his feet with but one thing in mind:

_Run._

Sprinting across the hall, he stumbled downstairs in a frenzied state when his body jerked forward and suddenly–

He gasped…

–he found himself falling–

…wanting to scream…

–falling into the sole model displayed on the first floor–

…but silenced instead…

–into Tartarus–

…as darkness consumed him.

–into the Tower of Demise.

**…BECAUSE THE NIGHT NEVER ENDS.**

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**GN:** So what's your first impression? Interesting? Boring? Too different for coherent words? Do tell me because I personally think I'm crazy for starting this without a concrete plan! (Although child!Makoto _is_ pretty darn adorable to write.) Well, hopefully, I'll be able to continue this. If not, then... I be dum-dum. *kicked*


	2. Chapter 2

**GN:** Fwee~ I'm glad to see that y'all like young Makoto so far but, sadly, given the nature of this story, he's going to suffer quite a bit. Of course, I don't plan to make him go through chapters and chapters of torture without some form of relief in between so... That said, do read on!

* * *

**_A Night To Die For_**

___Persona 3 _© Atlus_  
__Ib_ © Kouri (translated by vgperson)

* * *

**Chapter Two**

* * *

He was falling.

That much he knew as he recognized the rush of the wind flying past him and the weight of gravity pulling him down, down, down and into the beckoning abyss.

(The darkness was overwhelming.)

His lips parted to scream but his voice was never heard, lost in the void that slowly but surely encompassed his small form, and his hands reached out to grasp at something – _anything_ – but felt nothing save for air.

(It threatened to suffocate him.)

He wanted to think, wanted to be like his father who always kept calm and knew what to do in each and every situation, but fear was the mind-killer and his thoughts clashed and swirled around and round in a mess of a whirlwind.

All he knew was that he was scared.

He was _terrified_.

There was no warmth here.

There was no safety here.

There was _nothing_.

And he couldn't keep calm.

He couldn't be like his father.

He wasn't a man.

He was a _child_.

A child who simply wanted to go home.

Home was safe.

Home was warm.

Home was where he should _be_ and–

Swoosh!

There was a sudden updraft and a gasp was torn from his throat as he suddenly found himself weightless, floating amidst the blackness in a dreamlike manner, before the gale abruptly disappeared and a short scream left his lips.

"…!"

It hurt.

A whine left his lips.

His head, his chest, his arms and legs…

He groaned weakly.

Everything felt sore and heavy and there was a constant pounding just behind his eyes that made him want to curl into a tight ball and clutch at his face in hopes of soothing the ache within…

But his body refused to move.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been lying there.

(It could've been an hour.

It could've been mere minutes.)

Regardless, he laid on that hard floor, cheek pressed against the cool surface that did little to alleviate the flares of pain that wracked his body.

Ba-bump…

Ba-bump…

Ba-bump…

Each beat of his now-steady heart informed him that time was passing until finally – _finally_ – he forced himself to open his eyes irrespective of how weighty they felt and saw…

Nothingness.

Surprised, though he shouldn't be, Makoto jerked upright and a gasp was choked as he bowed over, coughing and wheezing when his lungs took in too much of the oppressive air.

_It hurts…!_

His blunt nails clawed at his throat, as if wanting to tear open a hole to help him breathe, and pained whimpers echoed in this strange region that was cold and lonesome.

_It hurts so much…_

Hot tears trailed down his face as his body shook and trembled, quaked and quivered, with feelings of dread, of anxiety, of overwhelming _terror_.

_Hahaue… Chichiue…_

His pupils were dilated with fear and his lips parted with each shuddering pant.

_Where are you…?_

But his silent question went unanswered…

(–in the abyss that threatened to consume him–)

…as he sat alone and frightened…

(–pushing and pulling and squeezing relentlessly–)

…and waiting, waiting, waiting…

(–as if wanting every single hint of life to vanish–)

…until a flicker of light caught his attention.

_…?_

Fear tempered by confusion, Makoto blinked–

_What…_

–once, twice, thrice–

_…is that?_

–but still that strange thread, glowing of a pastel blue color, danced before his eyes.

Reaching out cautiously, the boy waved his hand through the odd light and found it to be undisturbed by his actions as it winded through the darkness.

_Should I follow it?_

He wrung his hands together in clear hesitation.

_Is it safe?_

There was no answer.

And yet, as he continued staring at the glowing string, Makoto couldn't help but begin to relax.

It instilled a peculiar sense of familiarity within his heart.

With a clench of his fists, the boy made his decision and pushed himself up before taking a small step forward.

There was a near-silent tap from the sole of his boot and he breathed deeply to calm his nerves before pushing off and taking yet another baby step.

Tap… Tap… Tap…

His pace was slow but without the uncertainty that had gripped him prior as he followed the bright azure cord down what appeared to be a relatively straight hallway until he came upon another glow of the same color.

_A blue rose…?_

Walking towards the lit up vase, Makoto gazed at the beautiful flower and raised a hand to brush his fingers against its soft petals.

Ba-bump!

He gasped as warmth seeped into his body, his being, his very _core_ and suddenly he knew.

_This is mine._

How and why this seemed so matter of fact eluded his childish mind as he carefully lifted the rose from its stand and held it close to his chest.

The string disappeared and the glow dimmed though the flower remained just as lovely with its vibrant hue.

As the headiness lifted, the boy blinked slowly before his eyes landed on the plaque attached to the table upon which the empty vase stood.

_"When this rose will…ss, so too shall you."_

Makoto furrowed his brows in confusion.

_What does that mean…?_

Silver eyes fell upon the impossibly colored flower and his grip tightened nervously around its stem as a sense of foreboding descended upon him.

BAM!

He jumped, falling onto his bottom, with a strangled yelp before scrambling away on all fours as that eerie redness began to bleed forth from the floor beneath him.

**COME, MAKOTO…**

Wide-eyed and shaking his head in denial, the boy frantically crawled away, hands grasping anywhere in front of him for leverage, until he slipped and the liquid splashed against his clothes, staining his precious overcoat.

BAM!

**DON'T BE AFRAID.**

His heart seemed to roar in his ears, pounding like fast-paced drums, as he cried out before throwing himself up and forward with his boots slapping against the colored substance.

BAM!

**IT'LL BE FUN!**

He ignored it – those words that beckoned him into the dangerous unknown – before screaming when he lost his foothold, tumbling down the abrupt slope, and his grip loosened.

The rose dropped to the floor as petals fell.

"Guh!"

Air left his lungs as he moaned in pain and the world seemed to spin mercilessly around him.

His stomach churned warningly and he rolled onto his side, gagging as bile crept up from the back of his throat before hunching over and emptying his stomach of its content.

(The sweet remains of cake tasted bitter in his mouth.)

Coughing hoarsely to dislodge the chunks, Makoto brought a shaky arm up to wipe away the snot and tears that came with his sobs.

_Please…_

"H-Hahaue…"

He hiccuped pathetically.

"Chichiu-ue…"

_Help me…_

But silence was the only answer.

And so he sat there, shivering from the coldness that surrounded him and trembling from the ache in his chest that made his heart tighten, for time unrecorded until–

…scratch…scratch…

–the faint sound of something scraping against the floor sent chills running up his spine.

Head jerking up, Makoto peered into the darkness fearfully as the noise seemed to grow louder.

_It's getting closer._

Breath seized in his throat, the boy pushed himself up on shaky legs and began backing away as a glow flickered in the distance until he bumped into something solid.

Tensing, he turned his head slowly before straightening abruptly.

_A door!_

Tiny hands felt around frantically and his heart gave a thump of hope upon grasping the metal handle.

Light spilled into the abyss as he practically tore the door open and a wail echoed horribly down the dark corridor but he wasted no time and ran inside, slamming the door shut just as his eyes caught a glimpse of something large and red with a terribly blue face.

Thud!

The barrier shuddered and Makoto gulped before pushing his weight against it in an effort to provide support as the creature slammed into it again…

Thud!

…and again…

Thud!

…and again…

Thud!

…until silence abruptly reigned.

He breathed heavily.

_Is it gone–_

Stab.

His thought was cut off as pain blossomed in his chest, causing his breath to come in shuddering gasps, and he slid to the floor, wrapping his shaky arms around himself in mock comfort.

_It hurts… It hurts…!_

He hunched over, whimpering painfully, as warmth trickled down his face and he saw red.

_Why…?_

His eyes stung with anguished tears as his ears heard only the furious pounding of his heart.

_Why me…?!_

Had he been a bad boy?

Had he done something wrong?

Had he committed some crime in a past life?

_Why…?!_

He didn't know.

Stab. (A crack resounded from his ribs and it _hurt_ to just _breathe_.)

And for the third time that night, he sat.

He sat without his mother's warm embrace and soft reassurances.

He sat without his father's strong words and protective back.

He sat alone…

_Hahaue…_

…and terrified…

_Chichiue…_

…in pain…

_Someone…_

…and wondering…

_Please…_

…if this nightmare would ever end.

_Save me…_

Small hands, painted red, covered his dirtied face as he hiccuped woefully.

_Anyone…!_

Stab.

(His lips tasted of iron.)

Click.

Makoto would have startled…

His head would have snapped up to look and see the knob turning…

His eyes would have widened as the door began to push against him…

And he would have pushed back in order to make sure that the barrier continued standing in between him and whatever it was that came after him with wicked intent…

But…

He was tired.

He was _exhausted_.

The pain that tormented his fragile body simply felt _too much_.

And silver eyes closed wearily.

_Someone save me…_

The door creaked open.

_Please…_

* * *

**GN:** ...and now I feel bad. oTL Making Makoto-chan go through all of that and then ending this on a cliffhanger... Please don't kill me! *hides behind Teddie plush* D':

Drama aside, do drop a review for me, ne? I want to know what I did right and what I need to work on. Plus, hearing your thoughts and theories helps me figure out what to add and what to skim over in later chapters. Until then, take care~!

P.S. If you haven't already, please check out our newest collaboration – _Love to Live, Live to Love_ – under my partner's username ReachingOutFES. It's an AU story centered around Yu and will include characters from both P3 and P4. *kicked for shameless advertisement* xP_  
_


	3. Chapter 3

**GN:** Hey, y'all, sorry for the long wait. I actually started this chapter a while ago, but lost my outline and then couldn't find the motivation to finish it... And, uh, there may be depressing news at the end so... Yeah. *coughs* Regardless, I do hope that it's up to par so do enjoy!

* * *

**_A Night To Die For_**

___Persona 3 _© Atlus_  
__Ib_ © Kouri (translated by vgperson)

* * *

**Chapter Three**

* * *

_I _cannot_ believe my luck._

Sweat building up on her temples, the young woman deadpanned at the sight of one armored knight marching back and forth atop of its horse just below her as she braced her hands and feet against two adjacent walls in a reversed cicada crouch.

_Seriously, how the _hell_ did I get myself into this situation?_

She thought on that for a moment.

_The morning began like any other day: peaceful and quiet in her quaint apartment save for the occasional vroom of cars passing by outside._

_Sunlight peeked through the curtains of her living room window and onto her face, causing her to groan in discomfort before she awoke to find herself on the couch where she'd crash after a late night out partying with her friends at Club Escapade._

_Slowly sitting up, the young woman stretched out her sleepy body to get the blood flowing and absentmindedly patted herself on the back for not falling prey to temptation._

_Hangovers were never fun after all._

_Of course, given that it was her day off, she supposed that she could have gone all out last night._

Except,_ she thought with a wry smile,_ Jun-chan would've been pissed at me.

_But since it didn't happen, she easily casted the idea aside and went about her day lazily with a pair of red earphones on and blasting songs of old as her sketchbook was propped up on her lap and a cup of home-brewed coffee was held in one hand with a pencil in the other._

_It was perfection._

_That was until late afternoon came around and her phone went off, vibrating almost violently, as the screen flashed a familiar name:_

_Junpei Iori._

_Raising a brow, she slipped her signature headwear off and flipped open the cellphone, chirping, "Need help, Jun-chan?"_

_"YES!" His voice was comically desperate. "You've gotta save me, Ko-tan! I don't wanna work the night shift with that guy! He keeps giving me the evil eye and–"_

_She tuned out his rant in favor of finishing up the sketch of a young man playing serenely on a lyre as a beautiful nymph danced before him, both unaware of the satyr crouched in the shadows of the meadow with predatory eyes._

_"You're not even listening anymore, are you?"_

_He was huffing and puffing indignant, causing a smirk to play on her lips as she set aside her things and drawled with no little amusement,_

_"So, basically, you're scared shitless of Aragaki-san's perma-glare and you want me to come down there to prevent him from cracking open your empty skull out of pure annoyance, yeah?"_

_There was a pause before he whimpered,_

_"Did you have to put it that way?"_

_And she howled with laughter._

A smirk played on her lips in remembrance of how she teased him for a good minute before finally driving over to help him out.

_"Gooooood evening, peeps!"_

_Steel-colored eyes stared incredulously at the young woman in front of him before they were hidden by the shadows of his bangs as the man face-palmed and groaned, "Oh god, not _you_ again."_

_A mischievous expression played on her face as she received a thumbs-up from Junpei who soon bailed on them, sprinting off to who-knows-where._

_Coyly covering her lips with a hand, she leaned forward and practically purred, "Hello to you too, A-ra-ga-ki-san~!"_

_One could almost _hear_ the heart attached to her greeting._

_And her kittenish grin only widened when she saw his cheeks redden ever so subtly._

_Sadly, her fun was cut short when the telltale sound of high heels clicking against the marble floor echoed down the hall and she shifted her gaze to see a beautiful woman walking towards them with a buff man by her side._

_Straightening up, the young woman pouted upon seeing the gruff security guard sigh with relief and blew a raspberry at him, earning herself a few chuckles._

_"Teasing Shinji again, eh, Arisato?" The silver-haired man grinned. "Don't you ever get tired of it?"_

_"Always~," she sang with a wink, "And nope! Never! You know how I am, Sanada-san."_

_"That I do," he laughed before wincing when Shinjiro cuffed him upside the head._

_"Don't encourage her, Aki," he grumbled, "She's troublesome enough without being egged on."_

_"Regardless," the redhead spoke with a smile, "I'm glad to see that you're as energetic as ever, Minako."_

_"And you're as cool as ever, Kiri-jou-sama~," she chirped before giggling when the other made a face, "I see Mitsuru-kaichou still hates that nickname!"_

_"I wouldn't say 'hate' per se," Mitsuru sighed before smirking, "'Loathe' would be more accurate, wouldn't you say, 'Yamato Nadeshiko'-san?"_

Fuck. _Minako twitched. _I forgot about that.

_And seeing the sly smiles creep up on their lips, the brunette decided that it was high time she did as she promised and act as Junpei's bodyguard._

_Please note that she was _not_ running away._

_Rather, it was a tactical retreat._

Her amusement quickly left her, however, as she recalled the events leading up to her current predicament.

_"Be careful next time, yeah? See ya~!"_

_She winked playfully at the cute kid and gave him a short wave over her shoulder as she walked away before tuning into the crackling of her walkie-talkie._

_"–only happened once! Just once and I never get to live it down ever again. Why? Why me? I'm just your average guy, looking for his sweetheart. Oh, I can't take this much longer…"_

_He was sobbing quite loudly and Minako almost rolled her eyes but quirked a brow instead, drawling, "Can you be any _more_ dramatic, Jun-chan?"_

_"Well~," came his teasing voice, "You wanna find out?"_

_This time she really did roll her eyes before asking, "So what'd you need help with?"_

_"Huh? Help…?" There was a moment of silence. "Oooooohhh yyyeeeaaahhh…"_

Palm meet face._ Her hand dropped to her side. _T'was a pleasure.

_Junpei laughed nervously, having heard the audible smack, before sobering and lowering his voice into a conspiratorial whisper. "Say, Ko-tan, do you know about the rumors surrounding the third floor?"_

_Tilting her head, she trailed upstairs. "Nooo… I don't." A frown graced her lips. "What's this about, Junpei?"_

_She could almost see him flinch upon her usage of his proper name before he gulped. "Well…"_

A chilling neigh cut through her flashback and her gaze automatically shifted to attention before–

_Oh shit…!_

–Minako kicked off of the wall and soared over the animated armor just as it stabbed her previous perch with a particularly sharp lance.

Her gloved hands managed to catch onto the hanging lights and the momentum of her jump caused it to swing forward before she let go and landed on the carpeted floor with a roll.

_Huh…_ She stood up and dusted off her red overcoat. _I guess I should thank the old man for teaching me _something_ useful._

But her composure was startled when a crack sounded from behind and a shadow fell over her form before she dived to the side, narrowly avoiding another thrust of the polearm, and skidded to her feet.

A quick glance around the violet-colored corridor informed her of two options.

_Okay._ She thought as crimson eyes flickered from one end to the other. _Do I risk going around the knight?_ It struggled to retrieve its weapon from the floor. _Or do I run the motherfucking other way?_

The clanging of armor made up her mind.

_Mofo-way it is then!_

With that thought, Minako bolted down the hallway as an echoing roar followed her and reached out to grasp the metal handle before twisting it and ducking into the opening.

The green door slammed shut–

THUD!

–and shuddered as a weight was thrown against it.

The brunette quickly backed away on the off chance that the door would collapse from the knight's charge when it abruptly fell silent on the other side.

Her lips pursed and she turned around, trotting away without a second thought.

_Like hell I'm waiting around for it to break the door down…_

Just imagining it made her shudder in trepidation and she quickened her pace, stuffing her trembling hands into her pockets.

They brushed against something and her footsteps slowed as she pulled out a single red rose and remembered.

_Standing before the abstract painting of rainbow colors and encroaching blackness, Minako lowered herself just a tad and brushed her fingers against the plate._

_"The Fabricated World," she read aloud, "Huh, I wonder what's so scary a–"_

_The lights flickered and she snapped to attention as the music faded away._

_Sucking in her cheeks, Minako released a sharp exhale and pulled out her walkie-talkie, clicking it on._

_"Oi, Jun-chan." Her voice was deceptively calm. "Please tell me that you're just messing with me."_

_There was no reply._

_"I swear, Junpei." She was losing patience. "If you're fucking around with me, I'm gonna–"_

_BAM!_

_She jumped involuntarily, dropping the communicator, and looked around before red from the corner of her eyes caused her to gaze down._

**_WELCOME, MINAKO ARISATO!_**

_Eyes wide, she stumbled backwards._

_BAM!_

**_COME DOWN AND PLAY WITH US…_**

_"…Oh _hell_ no," she hissed, bristling in place, "You have _got_ to be _shitting_ me…!"_

_BAM!_

**_…TONIGHT AND TOMORROW AND FOR ETERNITY._**

_"Goddamn it!" she snarled before leaping into action and jumping over the spreading crimson liquid, running down the hall towards the staircase, "I swear– If this is one of those prank shows, I'm gonna–!"_

_A small shadow passed by her and, surprised, Minako stumbled, barely catching herself at the top of the stairs, before she turned and gawked at the child-sized darkness walking up to the sole painting of the third floor._

_"Hey!" she shouted, taking a step forward and reaching out a hand, "HEY, YOU!"_

_Her boots tapped dully against the carpet as she tried to reach the strange being when suddenly–_

_"What the–?!"_

_–tendrils of pure blackness wound themselves around her legs, her arms, her body and jerked her backwards._

_"FU–!"_

_Her curse was swallowed up in the abyss._

BAM!

She kicked the wall of this dimly lit corridor, scowling a scowl that could easily outmatch that of a certain beanie-wearing security guard, before she ran her fingers through her hair, causing chocolate-hued locks to tumble messily over her yellow scarf. Pink lips pursed in thought before the brunette tilted her head back and bundled her hair together, whipping out a hairband to tie it into a high ponytail. Her longer bangs got in her eyes but were easily taken care of via six silver pins and it was only then that Minako calmed enough to not kick in the green wallpaper.

_Alright… Now what?_

Crimson orbs darted from shadow to shadow, taking in the way that the hallway was darkening the farther she walked, before they narrowed as her boots squelched.

_This is…_ She took in the beckoning words, saturated with faux comfort and maniacal glee, before gazing forward with clenched fists. _No…_

Her heart pounded painfully–

…scratch…scratch…

–as a figure began to emerge from the darkness–

…crunch…

–large and cloaked in red with a terribly blue face–

…crunch…

–and the wilting rose slipped from its mouth as azure petals fell.

"–––~~~–––~~~–––!"

_…!?_

Slapping her hands over her ears, Minako tried to block out that horribly ghastly wail as her temples began pounding and her vision blurred from the pain. Red and blue growing ever larger bespoke of motion and the brunette tried to dodge to the side but her knees buckled and she stumbled, giving a strangled shout when heat flared across her skin, before she slammed into the wall. Hand gripping her arm, the brunette blinked away her nausea and gritted her teeth as warmth trailed through her fingers and the scent of iron reached her nose. A crash signaled the monster's heavy landing.

_Clumsy,_ she thought with a sneer as she allowed her injured arm to dangle and reached into her pocket, _But all the better for me…!_

And in a reckless manner, the brunette threw herself against the malevolent being and whipped out a silver box.

A flash of light and a blue flame flickered to life.

Its lipless mouth parted to shriek but Minako gave it no time and thrust her lighter into its gaping maw, clamping her hand over it, as the monster thrashed under her weight.

Smoke began to seep through the holes of its eyes and nostrils as its vibrated furiously, heat burning through the fabric that covered it, before the young woman was abruptly thrown off.

Skidding across the floor, she quickly covered her face as–

FWOOM!

–the monster abruptly combusted, screaming in agony–

"–––~~~–––~~~–––!"

–before the crackles of fire reigned.

"…haa…haa…haa…"

Minako panted softly, heart pounding in her chest and hands trembling from the adrenaline rush, before she slowly sat up only to wince as pain flared through her arm and a hiss left her lips.

_Damn it…_ She pulled up her sleeve and eyed the coagulating blood irritably. _I shouldn't have slacked off…_

But before she could curse herself out, her eyes caught sight of the dropped rose and her hand automatically raised to touch the one hidden in her pocket.

Her arm throbbed dully in pain as she pulled out the scarlet flower, frowning a bit as two petals fell to the floor.

_Falling through the abyss was a lot like falling from the state of dreaminess into that of wakefulness: once weightless, then weightiness. _

_(It was like being able to fly in the heavens before suddenly getting dragged down to hell.)_

_And so, when her body was hers once more and her eyes shot open, Minako jerked herself upright in a panic, breathing heavily, as her eyes darted all around her, seeing nothing but an eerie violet hue._

_With a sigh, she calmed herself and raised a pale hand to cradle her head._

_It was only then that she noticed the strand of pastel pink glowing before her eyes and an odd warmth bubbled in her chest._

Th…is…go…fin…d…mi…n…e…

_Her thoughts were scattered and something tugged at her mind as she pressed her palms against her eyelids to stave off the weariness from within._

_It took some time, how long precisely she knew not, before Minako stood up tall and proud and decided to heed her gut feelings, following the almost red string of fate and finding herself a beautifully blossomed red rose…_

"When the rose wilts, so too shall you."

_…alongside its knightly guardian._

She had been lucky in her escape, having taken the time it took for the armored unit to fully rouse from its slumber to go higher and hide in the corner of the ceiling.

_Not that it hid me for long…_

A sharp shake of her head cleared her thoughts and crimson eyes fell upon the azure flower once more. Pearly teeth gnawed on her lower lip upon seeing three measly petals cling desperately to the droopy stem. For a second, she hesitated–

_What if I mess it up even more?_

–before pain in her palms from her nails snapped her back to attention.

_But leaving it behind's a no go if…_

Her lips pursed as Minako steeled herself and gently scooped the fallen rose from the floor, cradling it in her hands alongside her own, before she slowly tread down the dark corridor.

Tap… Tap… Tap…

The heels of her boots clicked against the marble floor and echoed down the hallway.

Tap… Tap… Tap…

It was an exceedingly lonely sound, stopping only when the brunette paused in front of a hinged barrier.

Crunch.

Shreds of blue littered the ground she stood on and she closed her eyes, tightening her grip on the knob and bracing herself for what may lie on the other side as her nose twitched.

_This scent…_

The door creaked open.

_…blood._

* * *

**GN:** Gods, I am going to sound like such a douche but, although I managed to get this chapter up, I'm actually having second thoughts about continuing this story. I can't remember how everything is supposed to play out and my inspiration is at an all-time low. I'll _try_ to complete this, but I don't want to promise anything I can't keep. In the event that this does get discontinued, I apologize sincerely for disappointing y'all who were interested and I thank everyone who had stuck by me for the entire... three chapters... that I wrote. *sweats* G-Goodbye for now then! *runs and hides*


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